


now i’m a believer

by graceana



Category: One Direction
Genre: M/M, Shrek AU, i cant believe myself, it’s been three years i gotta go, what even is this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 06:44:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17075342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graceana/pseuds/graceana
Summary: shrek au. with a magically twist. everyone gets turned into something else and louis just wants to smell the flowers.





	now i’m a believer

**Author's Note:**

> i cannot believe i’m posting a louis/harry fic in 2018. i started this fic in 2015, i think, and was going through my unfinished folder when i posted what i had of this to twitter and then lauren convinced me to finish it so here we are. i haven’t touched writing a fic (for the most part) in 3.5 years so like, i tried it’s still not bad for my standards of myself. i took the story of shrek and definitely changed it up a bit mostly so this didn’t turned out to be longer than what it is. i think i somehow forgot how to write feelings though, whatever i tried. if you read this thank you. 
> 
> merry christmas and happy holidays, this is probably the only return i’ll ever make as starsfate/leedshappened so, yeah.

There is nothing better than lying in a mud bath; the mud so fresh from the rainfall the night before and the sun beating down on your face, warming the apples of your cheeks. It’s so refreshing being able to peacefully sit in the cool mud, all alone with nothing but the sound of a frog ribbiting from beside you and a few birds chirping. 

Wait a minute. 

Louis cracks open his right eye, looking next to where his arm is spread out behind him in the grass. Right there, next to his pinky, is a frog. A big, lumpy frog that’s blowing up its neck and letting out loud ribbit sounds. 

If he slowly moves he might be able to - “Ha!” he shouts, grabbing the frog around its belly with both hands. You know, considering he’s an ogre he does have pretty quick reflexes. 

(Maybe it’s because he’s way smaller than his fellow brethren but let’s not dwell on that) 

He brings the frog up and looks straight into its multicolored eyes. It ribbits; Louis scoffs. 

“I wasn’t even gonna do anythin’ to ya! Calm down!” Louis tosses the frog, gently, back into the grass and grumpily crosses his arms in front of his chest, sloshing around the thick mud that’s starting to dry in all the wrong areas. 

It’s hard being an ogre; Everyone is either scared of you or wants to bring you in for some sort of cash reward from whatever kingdom is having a temper tantrum that week. There’s an ounce of loneliness that sits in the center of Louis’ chest he thinks every ogre must feel from that very first day they’re sent away by their parents. 

Sure, he loves his swamp. He loves the mud, he loves the trees and he  _ especially _ loves how far away and isolated it is from everyone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he  _ likes  _ to be alone. It’s just. When your hated and feared so much there’s not really any point in developing any sort of relationship whether it be platonic or, God forbid, romantic. 

Sighing, Louis lifts himself out of his mud bath and walks over to where he has his log showerhead. He pulls on the lever and lets the slightly sun warmed water wash over him before he grabs his softest towel to wrap around his slender waist. 

“I wonder what I should make for dinner tonight,” he asks to no one in particular. That's another thing about living out in nearly the middle of the forest: you can talk to yourself without being judged. 

As he walks towards his small home he shakes his head towards one side to try and get the water out of his ear. It makes him a little dizzy, sidestepping over his own feet and almost tripping into the wooden sign he’d posted the other day: BEWARE OF OGRE! KEEP OUT! 

There are some things that he likes to do, mostly for show, you know, to play up the whole ogre thing. It’s mostly so he can have a laugh because there really isn’t any other form of entertainment out here. Well, the birds do put on a nice musical number when they’re cleaning their nests or repairing broken twigs. They get too frightened when Louis comes by, though, so he’s stopped going altogether. 

Anyways, back to his dinner dilemma. 

He could walk down to the stream and try to catch a few fish for tonight but he really doesn't feel like going through all that trouble. Damn. Maybe he should've kept that frog instead of letting him go. 

Too late now, though. 

Before walking inside Louis grabs his clothes that he’d set out to dry after washing them with the honeysuckle he’d picked yesterday.

He’d like to admit that this outfit (a large white tunic that has crisscross tying at the neck, rich brown pants that feel like he has nothing on, his gorgeous black belt - that he might have stolen off of someone’s wooden cart - that he fastens tightly around his waist, and his calf high black boots that he purchased from an espresso maker) is his favorite, but it's also one of the few he has. Another perk of living alone: no need to invest in a lot of clothes because no one sees you! 

A bubble of anger swells inside of him for a moment. He hates that this is the world he lives in, where he and his kind are constantly hunted and chased away just because they're different. He doesn't understand it at all. Not to even mention half of the stereotypes that are placed on his people that aren't even the closest thing to the truth. 

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, inhaling until he feels his belly expand and then exhaling to let all of his muscles relax. He doesn't want to be angry right now, he just wants to find some dinner.

On his way out he adjusts his belt a little tighter and stops to look at his reflection in the mirror he found on one of his walks. 

Walking is something that he loves to do; it’s so peaceful and he just loves everything about the nature around him. The air is so different than that of the few kingdoms he’d accidentally wandered into when he was first sent away. He loves the smell of all the trees and all the different flowers. There was a rough time when he was younger when he’d pick every different flower he’d see along his way because he was so sad and they were the only thing that would bring happiness to him. 

Rows and rows of pretty forget-me-knots were actually what led him to his swamp, his home. 

“Bloody hell.” He brings his hands up to his hair and fluffs it up with his fingers. Unsatisfied, he huffs, walking across his home and into the smaller alcove where his bed and night stand are to grab the small tin of beeswax and mint that he’d combined for a hair product. Louis dips the tips of his fingers in it before using it at the tips of his hair and then smearing a small amount across his lips for the hell of it. 

Now when he looks at himself in the mirror he smiles, happy with how he’s presented himself today. Although he doesn't have anyone to look nice for that doesn't mean he can't look nice for himself. Honesty, a majority of the time, he does it for him and himself only. 

Smiling at his reflection and admiring the glow of his skin today - a soft, glowing green that you can only ever find at the beginning of Spring. Louis grabs the brown leather satchel that hangs near his door, his fishing rod - which is really just a long stick with an arrow head on it - and heads out the door. 

He’s having fish tonight for dinner no matter how long it takes him and no matter how much he really doesn’t feel like going all the way to the stream to catch something. 

At least he’ll have the flowers to keep him company. 

♔

He regrets the decision to go fishing almost the second he steps out of his swamp. There’s something...not right. He can’t tell what it is but he can  _ tell  _ that there’s something in the air, a sad franticness? It’s hard to describe but it weighs his shoulders down as soon as he passes the Oak tree with the bullseye painted on it from some young boys practicing their archery. 

The weight doesn’t leave him as he walks, it actually makes  _ him  _ feel sad and almost like he wants to run as far away from here as he can. 

A second passes where his ear twitches, sensing something before it registers in Louis’ brain and before he knows it he’s being crashed into from behind and is falling to the ground. He just manages to move his fishing spear away so he doesn’t impale himself, thankfully. 

“Jesus Christ!” Louis shouts, wiggling and pushing at the lump of a being that’s on top of him. “Do you ever watch where you’re goin’?” 

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” The person repeats until they scramble to their feet. 

Louis brushes off his trousers and straightens his shirt and fringe before looking up at the young boy in front of him. He’s brunette, actually his hair is so dark and such a rich brown Louis is tempted to make the boy something for it so it shines in the sunlight. This boy is clearly a long, long, way from him. He has on a soft blue tunic that has an embroidered royal seal on the left side where a pocket would be. His pants are similar to Louis’ except black, and his boots shine like that of someone who could only hire the greatest shoe maker. 

“Are you alright?” Louis asks softly. This boy looks so frightened and frazzled that Louis doesn’t want to scare him anymore, especially since he’s probably the reason the boy is so scared in the first place. 

Before he can answer, they both turn their heads towards the shouting they hear that’s coming from the same direction Louis assumes this brunette came from. 

“Shit!!!” Brunette Boy says, panicking, before he practically hops so he’s hiding behind Louis. 

A group of six knights come running towards them and halting, their weapons are drawn and they look  _ mad _ . 

“We are under order to take this boy,” says the knight who’s in the front of the pack, he’s sticking his chest out like it makes him look braver. 

“And exactly who are you?” Louis asks, cocking his hip to the side; he has never liked knights, especially ones who feel exceptionally high and mighty as if they are the ones who give the orders. 

“We we’re sent by Lord Cowell. We are to gather all non-conformists to the laws of Duloc. We must place both of you under arrest.” There’s a slight waver to the knight’s voice that Louis would recognize anywhere: fright. 

“Really?” Louis raises an eyebrow, stepping forward and blinking before barely opening his mouth to roar his very, very, scary ogre roar. Not a sound has left his mouth when the knights behind the one who’s been speaking drop their weapons and run away with smoke at their heels. 

Louis pulls back, and shakes his head. “You and what army, my brave knight?” 

“I am here with-” the knight cuts off when he looks behind him to see a small mound of silver weapons and no knights. “Uhh,” he stutters before slowly backing up and running away himself. 

Rolling his eyes, Louis picks up his fishing spear and starts walking towards the stream again. It’s getting dark and he really does not want to have to deal with the flesh eating mosquitos and stupid Robin Hood and his gang of wannabes. They never know how to stop singing. 

“That. Was. Fucking amazing!!!” Louis hears someone say, and oh right, the boy. 

Louis grunts in hopes that his lack of response will get the boy to go away. He’ll do anything to help someone in trouble but he's never exactly been one for company. It goes back to his whole ‘what’s the point of relationships’ thing. 

“I’ve never seen Knights look so scared before!” Brunette Boy continues. 

“Well,” Louis shrugs, “Being an ogre has some advantages.” 

Speaking of. 

“Hold on a second.” Louis stops in his tracks causing Brunette Boy to stumble into Louis’ back again. Squinting at the person in front of him he slowly says, “Why are you still following me?” 

“You saved me!” 

Does this boy ever stop shouting. 

“Well, I mean, I also didn't want to have to deal with a gang of knights tonight, but. Wait, are you not frightened by me?” Louis finally stumbles out. 

The boy blinks at Louis, totally confused at his statement. 

“Why would I be afraid?” he asks. The boys blue eyes are so bright and round that Louis almost thinks he's talking to some woodland creature like Snow White would. 

Louis looks around them in the forest, as if he's waiting for Peter Pan to jump out at him and tell him he's been pranked by one of his Lost Boys. When no hovering boy dressed in green spandex appears Louis turns back to Brunette Boy. 

“For starters I’m an ogre?” 

“And I’m a bastard. Small world, innit?” Brunette Boy smiles so wide, like he's  _ proud  _ to be a bastard. 

“Sorry but how does that make this a ‘small world’?” Louis air quotes, fumbling with his fishing spear so he doesn't drop it. Which actually he still needs his food gosh darn it. 

The Brunette Boy turns to look behind himself as if he’s waiting for more Royal Knights to come after him. Louis starts heading towards the stream again, maybe if he hurries he won't return with red bites all over his glowy skin; that would be such a shame. 

“We’re both forgotten and unwanted.” 

If Louis weren't in such a rush he'd stop in his tracks at the boys bluntness but since he's trying to beat out the mosquitos he keeps walking. And although the boy’s words are harsh they're true. 

“What's your name?” Louis asks instead. 

“Niall. What about you Mr. Scary Ogre.” Niall laughs at his own joke, it's so loud that the birds in a nearby tree scatter up into the dusty blue sky. 

“Louis.” Louis replies, walking faster to try and escape Niall but when he watches the boy run up a grassy slope to just jump down in front of him he realizes there’s no use and sighs. He may be avert to company since he’s lived most of his life alone but maybe making  _ one  _ friend won’t be so bad. 

“That’s not very ogre-like.” Niall deadpans, head tilted in thought as if he’s going to rename Louis himself. 

“I’m not even going to ask what you think an ‘ogre-like’ name would be.” Louis steps over the fallen tree trunk that marks the opening to the stream. The sun is just starting to lower in the sky casting an orange glow over the water. It’s so peaceful coming around this time of day, the crickets and wood beatles making their noisy sounds that drowns out all of Louis’ depressing thoughts. It’s like the white noise of nature. 

“Oh! Are you going to fish? I could totally help you fish.” Niall talks faster than Louis shits after eating fire cooked frog. 

Raising an eyebrow at Niall, Louis sits down on the usual rock he perches himself on when he comes to fish. He guesses his statement could be true because of the royal seal he’s wearing and all but for some reason his instincts are telling him otherwise. 

“What’s up with your shirt?” Louis nods his head towards Niall’s chest right before chucking his spear in the water, catching two fish at once. 

“Oh this,” Niall looks down before continuing, “I used to be a goods donkey for the soldiers but one of them pissed off a witch because he was cheating on her so she turned me into a real person.” He shrugs like that’s a normal thing that is supposed to happen, which Louis guesses in their world it is. “I think she was only supposed to make me talk but she was so angry and put too much power into the spell so now I’m human.” 

Louis hums. “Well that would explain why you smell like a horse’s ass right now.” 

Niall cackles before he starts to look around and beams when he sees the tree behind him. “I can fix that!” He starts to climb the tree and steadily walks across the thicker branch. He smiles the widest smile down at Louis before launching himself into the deeper part of the stream, sending splash back at Louis. 

“What the fuck!!” Louis screams, he  _ just  _ did his hair. He pouts when he runs his fingers through it and feels how wet it has gotten. 

Niall is practically prancing in the water, rubbing flowers all over his body like that is going to fix his stench problem. Louis rolls his eyes before getting up, a handful of fish stuck to his spear and calls out, “I have actual soap back at home if you want to be clean. I’m not waiting so if you’re coming I suggest you hurry.” 

Niall runs through the water smiling and laughing at himself as he heads towards Louis. 

“Whoever said ogres were vicious clearly have never met you.” 

Louis ignores his comment and speeds up to avoid getting eaten by mosquitos. 

♔

Back at the swamp Louis lends Niall every rose scented cleanser product he’s ever made because of how bad he smells. It works, though, if the fact that one lone bumblebee perches itself on Niall’s nose through all of dinner is anything to go by. 

They eat dinner while chatting away about anything and everything, or well it’s mostly Niall chatting and Louis listening. It’s so strange to have someone else sitting at his dinner table with him but he’s finding that he enjoys the company. He’s also thankful that Niall is the one doing most of the talking because he doesn’t think he really knows how to have any sort of ‘normal’ conversation, he’s willing to learn though. 

After cleaning up Louis sets up a makeshift cot for Niall opposite of his own bed. It’s nothing fancy, mostly some old cloth and barrels of hay he uses for his fireplace. Niall isn’t picky, thankfully, and doesn’t complain, sighing contently as he sniffs the hay a few times - a donkey habit he seems to not have lost - before sinking down comfortably. 

“Thank you,” Niall whispers. Louis is right on the edge of sleep barely having any conscious energy to reply so Niall continues. “I think if I’d bumped into any other ogre or creature they’d have thrown me out by now, so thank you.” 

Louis is awake just enough to hum a reply before falling into a deep sleep.

♔

The swamp is a quiet place. It always has been and Louis thought it always would be but the next morning when he wakes up there is nothing but noise coming from the other side of his house’s door. He’s barely awake when Niall’s face appears just inches away from his. 

“I didn’t know you had so many neighbours!” He says excitedly, because apparently Niall is the exact opposite of Louis in that he actually loves having interactions with other people. 

Louis weakly shoves Niall away with his just-woken-up-strength. He rubs at his eyes, the crusties thicker than usual with how deeply he had fallen asleep last night. He doesn’t want to admit it but he thinks it was because he had a companion sleeping a few feet away from him. Because, like, Louis may be an ogre who was taught to hate everyone else because of how they’ve always treated him but he never  _ truly  _ wanted to be that way. God, it’s too early to think of this. 

“What are you talking about? I don’t have any neighbours.” Louis yawns. 

Niall backs away. “Whoa, man, you need some toothpaste.” He covers his nose and falls back onto his makeshift bed of hay barrels. “Are you sure you don’t have neighbours? There’s so many people outside.” He scratches behind his ear in a more animal like nature than a human one. “I went to take a shit and there was like a whole bunch of fairy-tale creatures out there.” 

That wakes Louis up right away. “What?!” he yells, shooting up out of bed. 

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Niall yells falling backwards over his hay barrels when he realises that Louis doesn’t have pants on. “Put some pants on, man!” 

Louis ignores him and shoves his feet through his brown trousers he threw on the floor last night when he got too hot. He’s still shirtless, and quickly admires himself in the mirror when he rushes by. He looks sleep disheveled, his green skin is glowing like the grass on a dewy morning, and he’s not exactly the fittest ogre there is but his stomach is flatter than most so he’s proud of himself for that. 

When he finally reaches his door the noise gets louder, it’s nothing but chatter and the clattering of metal that he’s assuming is pots and pans. Or maybe shackles. He really has no idea. 

Throwing open the door his eyes grow so wide he must look like a weird ogre-frog hybrid. There are  _ so  _ many creatures in his swamp. He feels his blood pressure start to rise, his face becoming hot. He doesn’t do well with people invading his space. One person like Niall is one thing to handle and get adjusted to but  _ this  _ many people is a definite No for Louis. 

“What! Are you doing in  _ my  _ swamp!” He yells so loudly that everyone stops what they’re doing and looks towards him for a moment. No one says anything just stares at Louis in his shirtless, fresh out of bed state, and then goes back to whatever they were doing. 

He’s appalled. These people really have the audacity to come into his space and then basically  _ ignore  _ him. Like are you fucking kidding right now? 

He tries to take a deep breath, tries to find the morning scent of sunflowers and honey that usually lingers this early in the morning through the swamp. It’s faint but it’s there and helps him calm down a little. There has to be a reason for this and someone here must know that reason. He looks around trying to find someone to talk to but when that fails he decides he should just scream again. 

So he does. 

This time everyone must process that he’s an actual ogre because they all freeze and gasp, some running into the tents that have been set up along the perimeter of the swamp. 

“It wasn’t our choice to be here mate.”

Louis looks around to try and find where the voice came from when he finally lands on a tanned guy who looks to be around his age, but also oddly like he’s got a stick shoved up his ass with how uncomfortable he looks. He has a on a white dress shirt with a red necktie, a strange top considering he’s in the middle of the woods, and navy blue pants. 

“Who’re you?” Louis questions. “And also what do you mean?” 

“I’m Liam,” he half-whispers, and you’re not gonna believe this but this motherfucker’s nose starts to grow! 

“Holy shit!” Louis hears Niall yell from somewhere behind him. 

“I’m just glad it’s his nose growing and not something else.” Louis hears a blonde witch say from somewhere in the crowd. 

“Why not? If that something else was growing at least he’d be fun.” Another witch responds, Louis has to hold in a laugh. 

“Umm, what just happened to your face?” 

Liam sighs but it sounds more like a sob. “My real name’s Pinocchio but I like to be called Liam. My nose grows when I lie.” He whispers the last part again. 

Louis doesn’t even want to get into how that even happened, but maybe this guy had a witch girlfriend and she cast the spell on the wrong body part. 

“Lord Cowell put us here.” 

“Lord Cowell? Who the fuck is that?” Louis questions, crossing his arms over his chest not only because he wants to fight this guy but also because the witches from before keep starting at him and talking amongst themselves. 

“He’s the dick who thinks we’re all freaks.” The brunette witch yells. Everyone starts to mutter replies and the crowd becomes restless again. 

“Alright, alright, alright.” Louis says loudly to try and settle everyone. “Where is this guy? Does anyone know? ‘Cause I’m gonna go there and I’m gonna tell him to go fuck off to get all of you out of my swamp and back to wherever the hell you all came from.” He thinks if his life were a movie there would be some big inspirational music playing as he talks. 

Everyone is silent and staring at him again. 

A few moments pass before everyone erupts in cheers and applause at Louis’ declaration of finding Lord Cowell and basically kicking his ass. He almost feels like he could be a hero of some sorts. 

“Yeah!” He shouts with them. “So who knows where he is?” he asks again when it quiets down a little. 

Everyone is silent and looking at each other instead of at Louis. Either no one really knows where this guy is or no one wants to be in the same space as this guy. Louis thinks it’s most likely the latter. 

“Uhh, I know where he is.” Someone from behind him says. 

Louis turns around and of course there’s Niall standing there shyly, arm bent behind his head as he looks down towards the grass. Even though Louis has only known Niall for 24 hours, if even that, this is the most timid Louis has ever seen Niall. If you had asked him before he would’ve said that Niall wasn’t even capable of even having this type of demeanor. 

Somewhere in Louis’ brain he knows he should be annoyed, should fight and argue and see if there’s anyone else who knows because that’s what he was taught: don’t connect with people, don’t form relationships, always be alone. 

But there’s another part of Louis, the part that secretly likes the stories he reads in the story books of how unlikely relationships form between beasts and beautiful princesses, that is screaming for Louis to basically take Niall’s hand and run with him all the way to wherever this Lord Cowell is. 

“Alright Niall it looks like you’re coming with me.” 

“Yes!!!! Road trip with Louis!” Niall jumps and bumps his heels together like he’s some gosh darn leprechaun. 

Louis rolls his eyes and heads back inside to throw on a shirt and get ready for the trip ahead of them, which according to Niall should only take a day or so. He grabs his brown over the shoulder bag and throws some fruit and homemade bread in it for them to eat along the way. There’s a weird feeling in his chest, not even, in his entire body that is making him feel a little uneasy but also excited. He’s never done anything like leaving the swamp to a far-a-way place before, let alone with another person, but he feels good, feels like this could be the beginning of something that he’s going to want to keep forever. 

“Come on Louis!” Niall whines from the front door.  

“I’m coming.” Louis blows out one of the candles that is on it’s last leg from burning all night, before heading towards Niall who asks, “What’s your favorite song Louis?” 

Shying away, and actually blushing, Louis admits, “I haven’t really listened to music much in my life.”

Niall gasps in shock before getting a determined look on his face. “Alright it’s settled then. Niall radio is starting now and isn’t ending until we get there.” 

Louis laughs, the first real laugh he’s ever shared with another person (besides his parents, years and years ago) and feels that excited feeling grow in his body again. He still can’t explain it, it’s like a bubbling feeling behind his lungs that warms him up to the tips of his ears. Could it be pure happiness? That finally someone is actually willing to be his friend? Isn’t afraid of him? Is  _ thankful  _ towards him. He shakes his head as he hears Niall start to sing some song he’s never heard. He doesn’t care to put a name to this feeling but he knows he never wants it to stop. 

♔

Hyungwon has been laying on this stone table for what feels like  _ days _ . He still can’t really figure out how he got here. The last thing he remembers is drinking a glass of honey milk and then it just goes dark. 

The room he’s in is similar to the table he’s on, in that it’s all made of grey stone. There’s contraptions lined along the walls like whips, chains, and those weird ball and chain things with the spikes on them. He really hopes he wasn’t abducted by some sex fiend. There’s a huge blazing fireplace on the far left and opposite that, on the right, there’s huge wooden doors that must lead to a hallway. 

Since he’s woken up - maybe an hour or so ago? He can’t tell since there’s no clock or windows in this room - no one has walked through the double doors or has made their presence known to him. 

He doesn’t know why someone would kidnap him anyways? Like what has he ever done to anyone. He’s the most reserved person there is. Okay, sure, he tends to get a little loud and hyper when sweets are involved but does that shock anyone? He owns a bakery for goodness sakes! He’s one of the best bakers in all of the land and has a lifesize gingerbread house to show for it.

While smiling at the memory of him winning first place in last month’s bakeshow he hears voices coming from behind the double doors and decides he’s better off playing like he’s still passed out so he closes his eyes. 

The wooden doors fly open and bang against the wall they hit as they do; Hyungwon tries not to jump so they don’t know he’s awake. 

“Is he really still out?” a deep voice asks. 

“I guess so? He should’ve woken up by now, though, we didn’t give him that much to knock him out.” a second voice replies. 

“What the hell is this guy wearing anyways?” The first voice asks. Hyungwon is completely offended, how dare anyone make fun of his bejeweled white button down. The magenta buttons give him that gumdrop like appearance that he adds to all of his gingerbread men. It’s his signature! 

“Um, who do you think you are commenting on my attire when I can’t even see half of you?” Hyungwon finally opens his eyes and finds two men before him, or well, it’s more like 1 man and half of another man because of how short he is. The first man is tall and dressed in all black from head to toe, even his face is covered by a black ski mask with nothing but eye holes cut out. The second, smaller, man is probably as short as one of Snow White’s seven dwarves. This second man is wearing a red track suit with white and black stripes down the seam lines, his hair is salt and pepper and he looks like he’s about 40 years old. 

“Oh, so he is up.” The short man answers while walking around the table and presumably standing on a step stool to meet Hyungwon’s gaze. “I’m Simon Cowell, the ruler of all this land, and this is Park Jinyoung my henchman.” 

“Hey.” The henchman replies, and why is he dancing in front of the only mirror in this entire room? 

Hyungwon struggles to try and get out of the restraints. “I don’t care who you are but what is it that you want from me?” 

“Obviously it’s the mirror that we want.” 

Hyungwon looks over to this Park Jinyoung character and then back at Simon. “Is that not a mirror right there?” 

“Not  _ that  _ mirror, the magic one.” Simon rolls his eyes and jumps down off of his stool as if knowing about a magic mirror is common knowledge. 

“I don’t know anything about a magic mirror.” Hyungwon would cross his arms if he could. He vaguely remembers the Muffin Man who lives down the road from him talking about some mirror but he’s not about to send this short dude and his oddly good dancer of a henchman to his bakery. 

“Sir we’ve located the mirror, they’re bringing it in now,” a chubby blonde haired man pops his head into the room and says to Simon.

“Oh wonderful!” Simon claps his baby hands and walks over to stand in front of the mirror that was just brought in. When the chubby man removes the white sheet that’s draped over the mirror it’s revealed to be  a long oval with gold trimming surrounding the reflective surface. There are little flowers in the gold that Hyungwon thinks would look amazing as sugar cookies. If only he could get out of this stone room and back to his sugar filled kitchen. 

“Can someone please get me the fuck out of here? Where hell is that wicked witch that stuck me in here. That’s the last time I ever try flirting with a witch.” A floating face appears in the mirror when Simon taps on the glass with his pointer finger. 

“Hey me too! The one with the blonde hair? She turned me human! What the hell is her deal. I heard she’s been terrorizing fairy tale creatures the past 2 months!” 

“Yeah! - “ the floating head in the mirror is cut off my Simon clearing his throat. 

“So MirrorFace may you please show me who I may chose as my wife.” 

“Umm, I have a name and it’s Park Jinyoung.” The mirror snaps back and Hyungwon swears if this Park Jinyoung could he’d fold his arms over his chest defensively, or maybe even just punch Simon in the face. 

Everyone in the room gasps as they look over to the tall henchman whose name is also Park Jinyoung. Henchman JYP walks towards the mirror, hand on his chest near his heart, “Son?” he says in an unstable voice. 

“No I’m not your son! Jesus, I’m gonna kill that witch when I find her.” Mirror Park Jinyoung bangs his head from the inside of the glass as his way of trying to escape. When his head hits for the third time it somehow triggers gameshow music to play and red and pink rose petals to fall. 

“Yes! This is what I’ve been waiting for the entire time!” Simon claps his hands again and even goes as far as jumping up and down. Is this man an actual child or? 

“Now what’s going on.” Mirror Park Jinyoung sighs as three images appear on the mirror like it were a screen. Each image is a silhouette of a person and the music gets louder as Mirror Park Jinyoung starts talking, or well, it sounds more like he’s reading from queue cards. 

“Your first choice of someone who’s from a far away land where he spends his time taking care of his little rodent of a dog: Mark Tuan!” The other henchmen who have come into the room start to clap while some look to each other confused. 

“Your second choice is the youngest of the lot, a new prince on the scene who’s protected my seven other guys, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take care of himself. He’s the fairest of them all: Yang Jeongin!” Mirror Park Jinyoung coughs because of how loudly he’s speaking to be heard over the cheesy music. 

Hyungwon hears someone in the crowd whisper, “He’s so adorable!” They’re not wrong. 

“Finally you’re last choice is a curly haired man who resides in the most guarded tower in all of the land, that’s surrounded by a sea of red lava. He likes to sing with the birds and bake: Harry Styles!” 

Mirror Park Jinyoung’s face returns to the mirror and starts to talk like a news anchor, “This just in Mark Tuan has already been saved from his horrible life as a pet sitter by a noble knight who’s more fit to be a king: Jackson Wang.” He pauses and looks off in the distance as if someone is holding up something for him to read. “Breaking news! Yang Jeongin is also off of the market because of how protective his dwarves are of him so the only choice left is the curly haired Harry Styles!” 

Simon stomps his foot and sighs, “Fine I guess I’ll go with him.” He rolls his eyes. 

“Umm, Sir,” the chubby guy - who Hyungwon thinks is called James - starts to say, “why were all the choices men. Is there something you aren’t telling us?” 

Mirror Park Jinyoung speaks up then, “Oh were you looking for a woman mirror. Sorry man the choices are the same gender as the mirror that’s how it works.” Again if he could Hyungwon could see Mirror Park Jinyoung shrugging his shoulders at this moment. 

“I thought you just became a magic mirror though?” One of the henchmen who brought the mirror into the stone room says. 

“Well, yeah, but I read the instructions. Obviously.” Mirror Park Jinyoung rolls his eyes. 

“Can someone PLEASE let me go.” Hyungwon pleads and gets ignored. 

He sighs he’s never going to get out of here. 

“We’re going to have to find someone to go rescue Prince Harry, because I am not going to risk falling into a pit of lava for some guy.” Simon puts his hand on his chin in thought. Just then a loud bang comes from the hallway along with faint yelling. 

A green man and brown haired guy burst into the room. Hyungwon can smell the fragrance of sunflowers and honey from where he’s laying on the table. 

“Who here is Lord Cowell?” The green man asks. 

Every henchman in that room takes out their weapon of choice and points it at the duo that stands before them. Hyungwon wants to feel excited and happy that maybe someone can finally save him but for some reason he has a feeling that’s not this pairs’ intentions. 

“I am Lord Cowell,” Lord Cowell starts off slowly, walking towards the green and brown haired men, “and who may be asking?” 

“Oh wonderful!” Niall shouts, face full of glee, “See I told you coming this way wouldn’t be a waste. My nose never lies.” He closes his eyes and huffs whole pointing his chin towards the ceiling a very ‘I told you so’ gesture. 

“Just because you smelt spiced cookies! That’s the only reason we ended up here!” Louis yell’s back, clearly annoyed. Hyungwon noticed this green man looking around the room analyzing the situation while his partner went on his small rant. 

“I’m Louis and this jackass is Niall. I’ve come here to request you give me my swamp back.” Louis stands up tall and looks Lord Cowell straight in the eyes so he knows that Louis means business. 

“Your swamp? What swamp?” Lord Cowell seems to and more to himself than he seems to be asking Louis. 

Henchman JYP then interjects, whispering, “Last night we had the other henchmen put all the fairy tale creatures on that plot of land you had randomly picked out from the map.” 

“Ahhh, so that was your land.” Lord Cowell starts to walk, slowly, back and forth. His hand rests on his chin as if it’s forever glued there in thought. “Hmm I never thought someone, or rather something, would ever live out there that’s why I had them dump those freaks there. But if you say it’s your land then I shall remove them, but only if you complete a quest for me.” 

Of course this tyrant can’t just give Louis his swamp back. God, Louis hates royals, or rather he hates these kinds of royals. Royals who genuinely think they shit flowers rather than actual shit. 

“First off I am not a ‘something’ I am Louis and I’m an ogre. Secondly why should I complete a quest when you’re the one who put those people on  _ my  _ land.” Louis crosses his arms over his chest, annoyed. 

Hyungwon watches from the table as Lord Cowell says and the Henchmen echo - because they know their king and what he’s going to say, “I am King therefore I do as I please.” 

See this is a clear example as to why Louis hates royals. 

“Whatever.” He starts to tap his foot impatiently. “What sort of quest?” 

Lord Cowell spins around to walk back towards the mirror, his hand over his chest and his voice a pitch higher, “To rescue my prince from the holds of a dragon and the sea of red lava that surrounds him.” 

“Easy enough, and after I save this prince I get my swamp back, yes?” Louis questions to make sure his motives are not lost in this conversation. 

“Yes, I may be hated because of my ways but I am always a man of my word.” Lord Cowell bows slightly as if to show an ounce of respect towards Louis. 

“Fine. I have one other request before I depart on this ridiculous quest.” Louis points towards Hyungwon. “Please let this guy go, he’s been staring daggers into me as if I’m here to save him.” 

“Ahh yes, please unshackle the gingerbread man and bring him back to wherever he hails from.” Lord Cowell instructs Henchman JYP who immediately obliges. 

Hyungwon starts to shout his thanks towards Louis and Niall but they’re already out of the door before the shackles even start to be unlocked. 

♔

Louis never knew accepting a quest would be so tedious. 

After he left Lord Cowell’s layer, or whatever that weird dungeon was, he was quickly caught up by the chubby henchman called James. 

“Mr. Ogre, please come with me to complete your quest application.” 

Louis and Niall looked at one another, confused. 

“Can’t I just go and save this prince and then get my swamp back?” Louis questioned. He’s so tired of all this bullshit he just wants his swamp back with his frogs hopping around and his homemade bath products to lay in. 

“No, I’m sorry.” And the poor guy James really does look sorry. “It shouldn’t take so long since you’re not a royal. An hour tops!” James tries to sound excited but it seems like he hates this process just as much as Louis is starting to. 

Reluctantly Louis and Niall follow James into an office like space. There’s a large wooden desk along the left wall  that’s covered in little figurines, Louis doesn’t know what they are but they seem to be set up in a way where they’re having their own battle. The wall that’s directly across from the doorway is a giant window that overlooks, what Louis presumes, is this castle’s garden. There are dozens of flowers in every shade you could imagine from normal reds to vibrant purples Louis has never seen before. Louis takes a deep breath trying to smell even the faintest aroma from the flowers that rest outside of the window. He could make so many things with all of the flowers that reside in that garden. On the right wall there’s a small, two seater, brown leather couch with a small table in front of it. On the table is a bowl of freshly picked fruit and a basket of fresh bread. 

“Please help yourself.” James motions towards the couch and Niall immediately destroys the bread in the basket while Louis opts for the reddest apple in the bowl. 

After filling out ridiculous paperwork and seeing a map to where the prince is actually being held Louis and Niall finally leave the castle and are on their way to complete this dumb quest so Louis can get his swamp back. 

The journey to this horrid tower that Louis was told about is surprisingly short and also pleasant. 

There’s so much wildlife, and scenery in general, out here that he’s never seen before that he’s mesmerized. The hills are large and rolling like boulders down a steel cliff while the trees that grow on them are home to singing birds who seem to hide whenever you try to look for them. It’s not like Louis never leaves his swamp but when he does it’s only to the stream down the dirt path or maybe a quick 20 minutes to the field of flowers that’s behind his swamp, he’s never been out this far. In one way he’s glad he’s on the quest so that he can experience just a little more of this beautiful, magically  world that he lives in. 

“Louis!” Niall yells, mouth full of bread (he somehow managed to convince James to give them a care package of bread and fruit for their trip). “I think I see the lava they told us about.” 

Louis squints and in the distance there is a large red and yellow wavy motion but it doesn’t really look like lava to him. 

“Is it me or does that look like a field of roses?” Louis questions out loud. How would someone confuse a field of roses with a river of lava? 

“It kind of smells like roses too.” Niall adds, his mouth clear of food as he runs ahead. “It is roses!!” he screams when he reaches the start of a stone path way that winds throughout the massive field before them. 

Rolling his eyes, Louis assumes that maybe this could possibly lead to the scary ocean of lava but their surroundings are just so beautiful and naturally on fire with the bright reds and yellows of the roses that he cannot imagine a disaster pit of lava being anywhere near them. 

“Do ya really think someone mistook this field of roses for lava?” he asks Niall. 

“Who knows.” Niall shrugs. “I’m just glad there really isn’t any lava, I’d shit meself if there was.” 

Louis laughs in shock at Niall’s minor profanity and continues before him on the cobblestone path. He assumes this really is something out of a storybook just less violent. 

They stay on what seems like the longest stone path for about two hours. The roses keep them company for most of the way and Louis enjoys having their lovely aroma soak into his clothes and surround him for the time being. The smell vaguely reminds him of his mother, he smiles at the faint memory. 

“Oh! I think I see,” Niall trails off for a moment before continuing in a questioning tone, “a house?” 

Their both silent while they look at the, again, stone cottage that sits about 100 feet in front of them, and then back at each other. They repeat this action a few times before shrugging and walking towards the quiet estate. 

Besides the stone exterior there is a  slanted, wooden roof that is as red as the field of roses they walked through to get here with a chimney sticking out from the right hand side, smoke calmly escaping as it keeps someone warm and fed on the inside. There are two small square windows with white curtains on either side of the, again, red door that sits directly in the center of the cottage. 

“Do you think this is really where this prince is?” Niall questions. 

And really at this point Louis doesn’t know and doesn’t care where this prince is as long as he can find him and bring him back to Lord Cowell. 

As they approach the house Louis sees someone sitting outside on a wooden chair. Their head is tipped back so their face is in the shade that the roof provides, and their wearing, well, their wearing bright red leather. When Louis says bright red he means the brightest red you could imagine times ten. It’s an entire ensemble, the pants are tight against the long thin legs that are stretched out in relaxation and the red leather coat, with a few golden chains attached, hangs comfortably over this person’s torso as they have their arms crossed on their chest which is covered in, a normal, white tee shirt. 

“Who goes there?” the man tries to say in a deep scary voice but ends up making himself cough so much that he has to jolt out of his position to get more air into his lungs. 

“Umm, I’m supposed to come rescue a prince?” Louis asks more than says because what even was the messed up story that Louis was told about this prince? There’s no lava or tallest tower, hell the closest thing to a dragon right now is the chimney that’s attached to the house. 

The man decides then to light a cigarette, that seemed to appear from no wear, with the tips of his fingers. All he did was snap and flames appeared. 

Louis flinches back a bit, mostly in surprise not fear, and takes a closer look at the man seated in front of them. His eyes are such a dark brown they look nearly black and Louis swears he can see a flame reflected in them even though there’s no fire around. Every piece of jewelry on or around the man is gold and studded with priceless looking jewels, even the small zipper on his jacket has a little emerald embedded into it. 

“Ahh, someone finally decided to have someone rescue his ass. It’s about time I’m sick and tired of sitting here all day, wasting my magic in this stupid disguise and shit. You can take him but I need something in return.” 

“Um.” 

“Oh, I’m Zayn by the way, nice to meet ya.” He sticks out his hand and Louis confusedly takes it for a proper business like handshake. 

“Are you the dragon?” Niall asks, with no care in the world that if this guy Zayn really is the dragon he could probably blast them on fire with the blink of his eye. 

“Yeah that’s what they call me. Harry got sick of people running away and being alone so he asked, or well whined, if I could do something about it, so.” He shrugs and takes a drag from his cigarette, this time Louis notices his nails are painted black. “I used my magic to create this little disguise for me and the tower and lava and shit. It’s exhausting but the kid doesn’t shut up if I don’t do it.” 

“Wait, what?” Louis isn’t really a dumb person but he’s really confused right now. 

Zayn sighs, almost like he’s used to this response. He mumbles something Louis can’t understand before the entire scene before them changes. Their surroundings become wavy like a watercolor painting and the cottage before them starts to grow into a giant dark stoned castle with that token tall tower. The stone path they walked on to get here transforms into a rickety old wooden bridge that’s gently swaying over the very hot and bubbly pit of lava that now surrounds them. 

Louis goes to look at Zayn in disbelief but is at a loss when he’s not in front of them anymore; instead when Louis looks up there’s a massive red scaled dragon attached to the castle, blowing smoke from its nose. 

_ You see what I mean now. _ Louis hears inside his mind and immediately knows it’s Zayn communicating with them. He knew dragons were powerful but he never knew it was to this level. 

“Zayn!” Louis hears a very displeased yell come from the tower and just as he looks up there’s a curly haired guy leaning out of the one window that’s in the tower. “Why did you stop your magic!?” 

Zayn visibly rolls his eyes at his annoyance but uses his very sharp black talon to point towards Louis and Niall. 

Prince Harry follows Zayn’s talon and when his eyes land on Louis and Niall he gasps, hands covering his mouth and all. “Oh my God. Oh. My. God. It’s finally happening! I’m being rescued!” 

He then disappears from the window only to call out two minutes later in a more sing-songy voice, “I’m ready Mr. Knight!” 

“Um.” Louis repeats for what seems like the hundredth time. “Is that it? That’s how I rescue him?” He air quotes the word rescue. 

_ He’s been waiting for this for years, honestly you could piss on him and he’d still go with you. He’s free to take but I need to be bought.  _ Zayn explains. 

“What do you mean?” Louis asks, he starts to walk into the tower so this Prince doesn’t get any more impatient, he’s glad this seemed to be easier than he thought. 

_ I’ve wasted a lot of time and magic babysitting this fool in this tower so I need compensation. Anything gold shall do.  _ He says matter-of-factly. 

Louis doesn’t have anything gold and he’s assuming since Niall used to be a donkey he doesn’t have anything gold either. 

“I don’t have any gold but I have Niall.” Louis answers as he climbs the millionth stair in this stupid tower. 

“Excuse me!” Niall shouts from behind Louis.

“Oh come on, you guys would be perfect together. He’s an ancient being with all sorts of power and you’re a recently turned donkey to a human.” 

“So!” 

_ Hmmm, I wonder what this boy would look like if he were gold.  _

“Please do not turn me into gold bars I like my life as a human.” Niall pleas, crouching down on the staircase with his hands over his head. 

“Oh my God, what’s happening!? What’s happening!?” Niall starts to rub his head because of a hot sensation he feels on his scalp. “I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna die.” He starts to chant. 

Louis turns around to see if Zayn is really about to turn Louis’ only friend into a gold bar but instead breaks into a fit of laughter. By gold Zayn meant blonde, instead of an unruly brunet Niall is now a rambunctious blonde. Hilarious. 

“What happened!?” Niall shouts, pulling at his hair and then running past Louis into the Prince’s room. He finds the closest mirror and stares at himself in disbelief. He shrugs, “At least I’m not a gold bar.” 

Harry loudly coughs from his position on the bed. He’s laying flat on his back with his arms crossed in front of him, bouquet of white roses folded in his hands. 

Louis finally enters and sighs, what is he supposed to do now. This whole quest just became very taxing and exhausting. Before he goes over to grab Harry by the slim waist and really just throw him over his shoulder to get this over with he has an idea. 

“Hey Zayn can’t you use that magic of yours to torture a Lord instead of keeping this Prince locked up?” Louis asks out the window that Harry was hanging out of before. 

_ Technically, yes. Realistically, I’m not supposed to.  _

“Do you really care about that?” 

_ No, not really.  _

“Perfect.” 

Louis taps his foot on the wooden floor before turning towards the Prince who’s impatiently laying on the white sheet covered bed against the far wall. 

“Hey Mr. Prince I don’t mean to burst your bubble but I’m no knight in shining armor and I’m a little selfish and honestly, just want my swamp back and your soon to be finance is a lord who’s a dick.” Louis pauses when he sees Harry open one eye to look at him. 

“And?” Harry asks, finally opening both eyes and sitting up, throwing the flowers to his side. 

“Well I was thinking we could have Zayn do some magic shit on him and you’d be free to live your life instead of being rescued from one jail just to be brought to another one. I’d get my swamp back and Lord Cowell would probably be overthrown in a good 6 months with all the radical shit he’s done.” Louis shrugs. 

Harry tilts his head in thought. “I wouldn’t mind living in a swamp.” 

“Um,” Louis puts his hands up and starts to shake them, “that’s not what I meant.” 

“We could all live there! Oh my god this is a great idea.” Harry jumps up and actually twirls. Like, who twirls anymore? 

_ Hey you did this to yourself buddy.  _

“Please shut up.” Louis rubs the spot between his eyebrows when Niall chimes in, “Do I still have to go with the dragon?” 

A cloud of smoke appears in the doorway and Zayn is back in his human from leaning against the door frame. “Well if Harry is gonna come live with ya I might as well come too.” 

“No!” Louis shouts, this was not the plan he’s just trying to get his swamp back without having to return this prince to that god awful Lord Cowell. Like how come these princes and princesses are always getting saved just to go settle down, has no one thought to save them so they can go and live their own lives? Probably not. Anyways Louis isn’t a hero he’s just an ogre with a flower obsession who wants to go home. 

“Okay, listen we need a real plan.” He pauses and looks at Harry who hasn’t been too vocal during this whole thing. “What do _you_ want to do?” 

Harry folds his hands over his chest, the movement makes the white flowy bloss he’s wearing expose his chest. Somehow there are two little birds covering his collarbones and Louis just assumes it’s something him and Zayn did while they’ve been bored all of these years. 

“I wouldn’t mind being able to live my own life,” he starts, he bites at the inside of his cheek in thought and continues, “I just don’t know how we would get away with this. Zayn’s magic is strong and he can do anything but I’m worried what this Lord Cowell will do to you and your friend if you don’t bring me to him.” 

It’s very sweet of Harry to be concerned for him but it isn’t necessary, Louis can handle himself. 

“Any ideas Niall?” Louis asks, and really he doesn’t know what he’s expecting from a literal jackass. 

“Can’t we just replace Harry with someone else?” he suggests, which isn’t that bad of an idea. 

“I guess, but he already knows what Harry looks like so how would we even do that?” 

Zayn steps in now, laughing while he blows smoke out of his mouth - Louis can’t tell if it’s from a cigarette or because he’s a dragon. 

“There aren’t many people, or creatures, who are as old and powerful as I am but there is one who can help us with this, more than willingly.” 

“Oh, who?” Louis asks, there’s a little bit of excitement growing in his chest because even though he acts like he doesn’t want these new people and Niall at his swamp he doesn’t think he’d mind the company. They would probably figure out a way to add another cottage to the area too so they have more room. Like he’s said before he doesn’t really enjoy being isolated but has more so just gotten used to it because of how he’s always been treated by anyone he’s ever met. 

“My ex girlfriend.” 

Louis blinks in, he’s not sure what. He guesses he’s just a little shocked of the answer Zayn gives because it’s not what he was expecting. 

“Oh okay, how do we get in touch with her?” Louis wonders when he hears someone clear their throat from behind him. 

“I’m already here,” a slightly sultry voice whispers in his ear as she glides her fingertips across his shoulders. She makes her way in front of him and gives him a smile that somehow manages to be both menacing and sweet at the same time. She has on the classic pointed witches’ hat but there’s a thin layer of purple veil material over it. Her outfit is very powerful looking in Louis’ opinion. She has on a black and purple corset that makes all of her curves stand out in the best way. Instead of a classic long skirt he’s seen most witches in she has on skin tight black leather pants, that look very similar to Zayn’s, and thigh high boots with a 5 inch heel; They look like they could be used as a weapon if they needed to be. 

“Hi, darling.” The blonde haired woman says as she walks over to Zayn. She runs her hands through his dark hair and then around his jaw. Unexpectedly she goes in for a very sensual kiss that Louis, again, was not expecting. 

“It’s nice to see you too, Perrie.” Zayn says when she detaches herself from his face. 

Louis looks over to Niall who has a very quizzical look on his face, his eyebrows are scrunched and he’s even tapping his pointer finger near his temple in thought. 

“Do I know you?” Niall asks. 

Perrie whips around to look in his direction and smiles. “Of course you do! I’m the one that made you the handsome boy that you are now.” She rolls her eyes when she gets in front of Niall and ruffles his hair. “I see Zayn messed with you though. How unspirising.” 

Zayn takes a drag of his cigarette that never seems to die out. “You up for some meddling?” 

“Oh, Zaynnie you know we’re not supposed to do that.” She blinks her big blue eyes very innocently. 

“Perrie please, I’ve heard about all the mischief you’ve been causing the past few months.” 

“It’s not my fault! It’s that Lord Cowell. He aggravates me so much I just can’t help it.” She stomps her foot and the lava outside dims turning to cool blue water. 

“Please don’t mess with my lava.” Zayn snaps his fingers and as he does steam and loud sizzling noises erupt from outside as the water turns back into lava. 

This is starting to be too much for Louis. 

“Wouldn’t you like to mess with Lord Cowell then? Like, go directly to the source?” Louis asks. 

“Of course, but it’s so risky. I have people I want to protect that I don’t want to take that risk.” Perrie sighs, her shoulders slumping and a pout appearing on her very glossy pink lips. 

Louis thinks for a moment to see how in the world they could do this when an idea pops into his head. 

“You two can shape shift right?” he asks Perrie and Zayn. 

“Well it’s not exactly shape shifting but yes, we can.” Zayn answers shifting on his body weight so he can start leaning on the other shoulder against the doorframe. 

“What if you two pretend to be me and Harry to infiltrate the castle? That way us three could head to the swamp and meet you there?” Louis suggests, it seems pretty foolproof in his mind. 

“Hmmm,” Perrie hums, “Why are we doing this?” 

“So, Harry can live his life and none of us have to deal with that little man anymore.” Zayn answers, he sounds angry when he says the last part. 

Perrie shrugs. “That’s good enough of a reason for me.” 

Perrie walks over to Zayn and links her arm through his free one. She smiles at him with those innocent eyes before laughing. “Are you ready to cause a little trouble?” 

Zayn’s eyes seem to twinkle before laughing back at her, smoke rolling out of his mouth and nostrils. “For old time’s sake.” 

And like that they vanish in a weird grey and purple puff of smoke. 

“I’ve never seen Zayn look so excited.” Harry states, deadpan. He turns towards Louis, his bright green eyes filled with curiosity. “I never thought an ogre would be sent to save me.” 

“And I never thought I’d be sent to save someone from a place like this.” Louis runs a hand over his face, it’s only been like, two days, and he’s exhausted. He misses his mud bath. 

Harry looks outside and notices the setting sun. He seems to all of a sudden get nervous, so much so that when he starts to talk his voice shakes a little, “Could you two go outside for a second?” He forms it as a question but is already pushing Louis and Niall out of the door before they can answer. 

“Just wait here for a few minutes and I’ll be right out.” Harry tells them and then shuts the door behind him. Louis hears the clacking of the lock hit the wooden door after Harry closes it. 

Louis sits on the stone staircase and waits, Niall sitting next to him pulling at his hair so he can see the new color that it is. 

“You really think the plan will work?” Niall asks after a couple of minutes. 

“I sure hope so.” He turns towards Niall and throws his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a light hug. “But for some reason I get the feeling those two have done much worse and more complicated things before this.” 

Niall bursts out in laughter, making his whole body shake. “Did you see how she turned the lava into water!? That’s crazy powerful.”

Louis nods his head. “I know. I never thought people could be so powerful.”

Niall hums in agreement when the door behind them suddenly opens and Harry whispers, “Okay you can come back in now.” 

Louis stands up and notices that Harry is hiding behind the door as he opens it for them to step back into the room. He stays hidden before the door until Louis asks, “Harry, is everything alright?” 

“Zayn’s the only one who’s ever saw me like this so I’m a little nervous.” His voice is shaky and Louis can see the door knob that Harry is still holding on to fidget because Harry keeps messing with it to calm his nerves. 

“What’ve you got to be nervous about in front of us? I’m an ogre and he’s a jackass turned human.” Louis laughs to try and lighten the mood when Harry pushes the door closed to reveal himself standing behind it. Louis’ mouth drops to the floor in complete shock. 

“You… you’re an ogre?” Louis says, shocked. 

Harry sighs and walks to the bed to sit down before starting to talk. “It’s a curse some witch placed on me when I was a baby. So at night I turn into this.” He sighs again. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix it but me and Zayn have had no luck.” 

Harry looks so sad, like an actual beaten woodland creature that Louis feels so bad for him. He walks over and sits next to him on the bed. As Louis sits down he places a comforting hand over Harry’s that’s resting on the bed. 

“Hey, don’t worry. We don’t mind and you shouldn’t either. Maybe when Perrie gets back we can ask her, she might know what to do.” Louis suggests. 

Slumping even more into himself, Harry shakes his head, “I doubt it’ll be that easy.” 

Niall chimes in then. “Hey, as long as you’re with us we won’t let anyone give you any shit for it. Especially Louis, he may not look it but he’s a real hero.” 

Louis involuntarily feels his face start to heat up and shakes his head in denial. “I’m no hero.” 

“But you are.” Niall shoots back. “You saved me from those knights, and you gave all those people back at the swamp some kind of hope when you said you were going to go to Lord Cowell.” 

Louis thinks about Niall’s words and he guesses he’s not wrong but he doesn’t want to be deemed a hero. There’s something about it that doesn’t sit right with him, maybe it’s because he’s always been seen as a monster. How could he be a hero now? All because he said he’d stand up to some guy in a castle? That makes him a hero? He doesn’t think so. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis says to brush the situation off. He doesn’t want to think about it any longer. “When do you think Zayn and Perrie will be back?” 

Harry shrugs, his green skin shifting under the moonlight that flows through the window like water out of bottle. It makes the gold in his eyes stand out more than the green and Louis sees him, actually  _ sees  _ him for the first time since they’ve entered this room. When that happens it’s like his senses become super heightened. He can now make out the small hints of vanilla and rose that are stuck to every corner of this room. He looks around to see a sad small bouquet of the yellow and red roses that him and Niall saw on their way here. 

Louis takes in how the giant canopy over the bed makes Harry, a six foot tall man, look small. He chuckles to himself and shakes his head. There’s something else about Harry that seems almost magical, and honestly at this point he wouldn’t be surprised if he did have magic. It’s weird but Louis really never realised how much magic there is in this world he lives in. Another symptom of that isolation he’s lived in. There’s so much for him to see and experience. 

“What’s one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing after getting out of here?” Louis stands up then and walks over to the window. The heavy steam from earlier has mostly dissipated but some of it has collected into small clouds right below the top of this high tower. The moonlight that shines through them makes the lava below look like they’ve returned to their rose disguise from earlier. While looking at the stars he sees one falling from above and he knows you’re supposed to make a wish but he doesn’t even know what he’d wish for. 

“Oh shit.” He hears from behind him followed by a glass breaking. When he turns around he sees Niall standing over a small pile of glass that he must’ve accidentally knocked off the small end table near Harry’s bed. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry says while getting up to help Niall clean it. 

An idea comes to Louis again and he looks back out the window waiting for another chance to make his stupid wish on a stupid star, that isn’t even really a star but a rock falling to the Earth from space. When his moment comes he makes his wish. It’s a little embarrassing so he doesn’t want to share it.  

A few moments later after the glass is cleaned up and they’re all back to standing around in a somewhat awkward but comfortable silence Zayn and Perrie both return in the same cloud of smoke that they left in. 

“That was  _ so  _ much fun! Goodness, I haven’t had that much fun in such a long time.” Perrie says dreamily, she’s still hanging on to Zayn’s arm the same way she was when they first left. 

Louis takes a good look at them and if he didn’t know any better he would say they looked a little… high. He figures it’s from the adrenaline of doing whatever they just did and the fact that they probably haven’t done something like that together in a long time. 

Zayn laughs airily, “I did miss this feeling.” 

“So is it done? Did you do it? How’d you do it?” Niall shoots question after question at them like a small child. 

“It was easier than I thought.” Perries leaves Zayn’s side and starts to walk around the room while she recounts how they took out Lord Cowell. “We disguised ourselves as you two to get in at first but once we were in we didn’t need them anymore. I turned Cowell into an actual cow and sent him to a friend, Jack, of mine who lives out in the country.” 

Zayn chimes in then, “Yeah, then I did a little memory work on everyone in the castle and put out an alert of a new king.”

“New king? Who?” Louis wonders. 

“Oh Perrie found one of her projects hiding in a closet. He must’ve been captured and then set free or tried escaping, either way he didn’t make it very far.” Zayn flicks his hand like it doesn’t matter. 

“Yeah, he used to be a gingerbreadman, that poor guy. Anyways, now he has all the power in the world he could ever want.” Perrie smiles, proud of herself. 

“We also found this.” Zayn reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a piece of paper that’s rolled into a scroll. He hands it to Louis and when he opens it he realises it’s the deed to his swamp. 

The amount of relief and happiness he feels from seeing this one piece of paper is out of this world. 

“The new king is already giving all the fairy tale creatures from your swamp their homes back and releasing anyone else who was captured and in the castle dungeon. I honestly don’t know how anyone let that man become king,” Perrie says in disgust before a huge smile appears on her face. “But now we can all live happily! I’ll help out Hyungwon in the castle as a magical consult and Zayn will protect the land if we ever need it.” 

Zayn nods his head in agreement before mumurming, “I gotta find a place to put my collection.” Louis assumes he has some treasure hidden somewhere like a dragon usually does. 

“Are you ready to go back to the swamp?” Perrie asks, she has her hand up like she’s ready to snap her fingers and when Louis nods they all end up in a giant smoke bubble that’s resting on Zayn’s dragon form back. They fly through the night sky and the feeling that arises in Louis chest is something he’s becoming more and more familiar with. 

It’s a feeling of belonging, and as he looks around him in the bubble that Perrie has created he doesn’t think he wants to be alone anymore. He could see himself becoming good friends with the people around him, and let’s just admit it now even if he tried to get rid of Niall he doesn’t think he actually could, and he’s kind of happy about that. He smiles to himself and when he looks back out to the sky he sees another shooting star but doesn’t feel the need to make a wish because his first one has already come true. 

♔

When they get back to the swamp every fairy tale creature that was there when they left is now gone like they were never there to begin with. 

Niall takes Harry into Louis’ house leaving Zayn, Perrie, and Louis outside. 

“Thank you,” Louis says to them sincerely, he doesn’t know what he would’ve done if he never got his swamp back and giving Harry to some man who picked him out through a mirror really just didn’t seem right morally to him. 

“No problem.” Zayn answers. “I’m glad the kid didn’t have to go spend the rest of his life in another castle. These Lords don’t realise that half of the time they’re taking these captured royals and just putting them into another prison.” Zayn shakes his head in disapproval. 

Perrie agrees. “If you need anything else be sure to let me know! But right now I’ve got a date with a knight.” 

Zayn rolls his eyes and shakes his head fondly, as if this is a normal thing for Perrie to do. 

“Oh, wait, I actually do have a question to ask you.” Louis remembers about Harry’s nightly condition and proceeds to ask Perrie about how to fix it and if she can or would know how to. 

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry I can only fix things that my magic alone has affected.” She pouts to herself because she can’t help. “If it’s like any other curse spell though then it probably has the same fix-it embedded in it,” she says matter-of-factly. 

“And that would be?” Louis asks. He sees Zayn out of the corner of his eye smirking like he already knows. 

“A kiss of course!” Perrie happily says. “A true love’s kiss that is. Since it’s a shape changing curse Harry will probably take a permanent form of whoever kisses him. So ogre or human.” 

Louis blinks at her and then looks to Zayn. He’s just met Harry and although the guy is pretty attractive he doesn’t know about true love or anything right now. He just finally accepted the fact that he’s okay with having friends. 

Zayn shrugs his shoulders before walking over to Louis and throwing an arm over his shoulders. “Do you know how many knights have come and tried to save Harry from that tower?” He starts to say. “Too many for me to remember but did you know you’re the only one who’s seen my illusion of the roses?” 

Louis looks at him, confused. What does seeing the roses have to do with anything? Isn’t that just Zayn’s magic that does that?

“That illusion is not only there for Harry and myself to see but I charmed it, a long, long time ago, with Perrie actually.” Zayn nods his head towards Perrie who is clicking away on an illuminated crystal in her hands. “We charmed that illusion so that only someone with a pure heart could see it and essentially get passed me and save Harry.” 

Perrie speaks up then, still looking at her crystal. “Oh, I remember that charm. Didn’t I add true love view to that?” she questions more to herself than to Zayn and then shrugs her shoulders like it doesn’t matter. 

Louis’ eyes widen when he looks at Zayn. “What is she talking about?”

Zayn shakes his head. “Don’t listen to her. Just help Harry adjust to this outside world for a bit while I take care of some things. He wasn’t completely isolated with the help of my magic but I still think being in the actual outside world is gonna take some getting used to for him. I should only be gone a month, if I need longer I’ll let you know.” Zayn looks behind them and sees Niall through the window. “Also make sure that one doesn’t go anywhere. I still have my deal with him, alright?” 

Louis doesn’t even get to answer before Zayn and Perrie are both disappearing again in another cloud of smoke. 

Well, then, I guess he’s on taking care of Harry duty for a month. Louis runs a hand over his face and realises how exhausted he is. Before that starts he needs a shower and a sleep. 

♔

_ one.  _

It’s not something he noticed right away during this new adventure of teaching a rescued prince how to survive outside of a tower. It’s not even like he really noticed it, more like it hit him over the head. It was so sudden that he actually had to walk outside and watch the frog family chilling on their lilly pads in the pond next to his mud bath. What did he notice? Honestly he barely knows how to explain it. 

Harry was sitting on the floor, Niall next to him, mixing together a deodorizing paste that Louis had taught him to make when he looked up and looked right at Louis and smiled. 

It’s not like Harry’s never smiled at Louis before in there time they’ve been together, but for reason this time when Louis smiled back a small pink blush rose onto to Harry’s cheeks. That somehow caused Louis’ own cheeks to heat up from his spot on the dinner table chair. This is where he noticed the Thing. 

That thing being the warmth and electricity in his chest. It felt like little wires were wrapped around his heart and that blush on Harry’s cheeks woke them up. The feeling wasn’t like a painful shock just a buzz that caused the warmth and made him have to physically get up and leave the room to go outside. He’s never felt that feeling before and he won’t lie and say that it didn’t freak him out a little. Of course it would, when something is new it’s scary. 

He looks up to the clear blue sky and blinks away as he lets the wires wrap around his heart grow and envelope his entire body. A smile sneaks its way onto his lips. 

New is scary, but new is also exciting. 

 

_ two.  _

“Are you sure this stuff is okay to drink?” Harry asks Louis. He’s holding a glass mason jar of orange tinted liquid with a very scared and skeptical expression on his face. 

“Of course it is.” Louis rolls his eyes. “Do you really think I’d let any of us drink it if it weren’t?” 

“Well, no.” Harry pouts as his eyebrows scrunch together, it’s a look that Louis has come to find adorable. 

“It’s like a peach wine.” Louis shrugs and takes the jar from Harry so he can pour it into the three glasses that he sets up on the table. 

He hands one glass to Harry and grabs the other two before saying, “Come on, Niall’s already outside.” 

The night air is cool against their skin and sends a slight shiver down Louis’ spine. He tries not to visibly shake as he hands Niall his glass of peach wine. There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, according to one of Perrie’s witch friends anyways. When her and Zayn sent their update letter about how everything in the castle is going she mentioned it and Niall was very adamant about himself, Louis, and Harry watching it together. 

“Have you seen any yet?” Louis asks as he sits next to Niall on the grassy slope that’s north of his cottage. Harry takes the seat next to Louis. He accidentally sits on Louis’ hand and giggles while fumbling out an amused apology. Louis chuckles and looks up at the dark sky. 

“Not yet, I think we still have a little while before it starts.” Niall takes a sip of the peach wine and makes a loud ‘ahhh’ sound in satisfaction. “Man, I don’t know how you make all this stuff, Louis. This shits amazing.” 

Louis preens at the compliment. “It’s not hard when you’ve seen it done a few times.” 

Niall doesn’t ask where he learned and Louis is glad because he doesn’t want to admit spying on the random neighbors he has had in these woods over the years.

“Have you ever seen a meteor shower before?” Harry asks Louis. 

“I think once; when I was younger,” Louis answers. He has the vague memory of sitting on his mother’s lap and looking at the sky. There were so many falling stars that Louis wanted to go catch one. He remembers his father picking him up and spinning him in a circle, raising him higher so he could try and catch one falling from the sky. His chest warms and tightens at the memory, just as his cheeks warm from the sweet wine he’s been drinking. “Have you ever seen one?” 

Harry shakes his head sadly. “Every time Zayn told me one was going to happen it’d rain over the tower so I could never see anything.” A small hiccup escapes Harry’s mouth followed by another silly giggle. 

Louis watches as Harry looks up towards the sky with pure curiosity and wonder. He sees a reflection of the first shooting star in Harry’s eye and watches as the man’s face brightens, his smile growing and his cheeks appleing in excitement. 

They sit silently through the show that lasts longer than Louis thought it would. He goes back and forth between watching Harry and watching the sky. He doesn’t know which is more fascinating: the falling glowing space rocks or the boy who’s glowing like he’s been drenched in firefly dust. He watches as Harry closes his eyes, his eyelashes resting against his cheeks, there’s something so magical about this boy and Louis is never going to figure it out. Whatever it is, it makes his heart leap at how beautiful this man is. It makes him laugh when Harry does something silly when he thinks no one is watching but Louis always sees; he’s always watching over Harry, making sure he’s learning and living the best he can in Louis’ small abood. 

Louis has come used to having both Harry and Niall around and really wouldn’t change it for the world. Having people around you who love to laugh and learn and just have fun can make you feel so happy and light you want to fly. 

There’s something about Harry that makes Louis especially happy and he’s not the only one who’s noticed. Niall is always there too, side-eyeing Louis when he catches him staring just a little too long or smiling when Harry’s done nothing special at all. Louis always shakes his head and ignores Niall’s comments but they both know what’s happening and even though Niall hasn’t said it Louis knows he’s rooting for him. 

“Should we make a wish on the next one we see?” Niall suggests, his face beet red and words a little slurred from the wine. 

The three of them nod to one another and stare up at the sky. The falling stars have slowed down indicating the show coming to its inevitable end. A few moments pass and Louis thinks that maybe the last one they saw was really the last one, but sure enough a single, bright star comes soaring across the sky. They all close their eyes and wish. 

Louis doesn’t know what Harry and Niall have wished for but when he opens his eyes and sees the ending tail of the star and smiles. 

_ please let this happiness last a lifetime.  _

 

_ three.  _

When Louis realizes it took him less than a month to fall in love with Harry he somehow isn’t surprised. He’s pretty sure he knew it days ago, maybe even that first week when Harry insisted on going with Louis to find new flowers for his bath products. It’s not as scary as he thought it’d be, and honestly he doesn’t know why he’d think it’d be scary in the first place. Every time he looks at Harry there’s a warmth that runs through his veins and that wraps around his chest. There’s a feeling of unexplainable happiness that washes over every inch of his body. He never wants to give up this feeling. 

He thinks Harry might feel the same way but of course doesn’t know for sure. It’s the small things that he notices that makes him think Harry could possibly have the same feelings as him. Like when Harry laughs that extra loud laugh when Louis does something idiotic but also kind of funny. Or like when Louis catches Harry staring at him out of the corner of his eye with that small secret smile on his face. 

His favorite thing though is how Harry always helps. He helps with everything that Louis always used to do alone. It’s not like they’re hard tasks or anything, but Louis never knew that there would be such a big difference between doing something alone to doing it with someone who you've come to love and adore. 

“Are you ready to go?” Harry pops his head around the corner of Louis’ makeshift dressing area and smiles his big, cheesy, dimpled smile.

“Yup!” Louis bounces over to Harry and runs a hand through his unruly set of curls. They’ve gotten so long over the past month. So much so that Louis asked Harry if he was related to Rapunzel, Harry punched him in the arm while laughing. Of course he isn’t. 

Louis and Harry make their way outside and towards the path that leads to the stream. Usually Niall accompanies them but Zayn came early this morning and pretty much kidnapped Niall in a thick grey cloud of smoke. 

The sun is so bright and warm as it breaks through the leaves on the trees and hits their skin. Louis brushes his hand against Harry’s, a simple thing that he’s been doing lately and that’s been eliciting a cute pink blush out of Harry. 

The walk to the stream isn’t long but it’s quiet between them, only the sounds of the birds singing and the little woodland creatures running across the ground meeting their ears. 

When they get to the stream the path opens up to a small enclosure of land, and a small pond that the stream falls into. The greenery around them makes the water in the pond look an incredible deep blue color. This whole world really must be filled with magic with how much everything around him is sparkling. 

Louis silently sets up the fishing gear and jars they’re going to need to collect the few herbs that grow around here. Harry’s leaning against the tall rock that marks Louis’ favorite fishing spot. He’s got on his usual white flowy blouse and black pants. Louis had one of the dwarves that delivers his mail send in a request and got Harry a new pair of brown boots out of it. He smiles at how nice they look on Harry and at the memory of how happy Harry was to get them. 

Louis notices Harry staring at the ground and frowns. He steps in front of him and nervously brings his hand to the side of Harry's neck so he can lift his head up and meet his eyes. He rubs his thumb over Harry’s jawbone. 

“Everything alright?” Louis asks, his heart pounding and his eyes intently watching every micro expression on Harry’s face incase he’s overstepping some type of boundary or in case something is really wrong.

Harry nods silently and licks his lips before whispering something that Louis can’t make out because of the buzzing of the beatles around the pond. 

“What was that? I can't hear you, these fucking beetles.” Louis laughs and steps a little closer incase Harry whispers again. 

“Can you kiss me?” Harry whispers again. His eyes are still looking at the muddy ground but quickly flick up to meet Louis and then look back at the ground again.. 

Louis is speechless for a lot of a reasons, but the main one being because Harry knows, hell they both know, what a kiss from Louis really means. Does Harry think Louis is his true love? Is Harry going to be in his green fleshed ogre form for life if Louis kisses him? What if it doesn’t work? What does that mean for them? If Louis kisses Harry and he doesn’t permanently change does that mean he’s not his true love? Even though Louis’ heart beats so fast and so calmly when he’s around Harry. 

Swallowing, Louis places his other hand on the other side of Harry’s neck. “Look at me Harry.” Louis says, whispers. 

Harry slowly rises his eyes to meet Louis’ and shoots him a shy but confident smile. “I’m sure, if that’s what you’re going to ask. I’ve been with you a month and you’ve been so kind to me. And I know about the rose charm Zayn put on the tower, so the fact that you saw them, I know that means something.” Harry pauses and places his hand over one of Louis’ that is cradling Harry’s head before he continues. “Louis, you’re so kind and unbelievably sweet that I don’t know how anyone could ever say mean things about ogres. I used to be scared of permanently being green and feared but after seeing how kind you are to, not only me, but to Niall made me realise that all the negativity against ogres is from people who don’t see this side of them. And I don’t know if all ogres are as sweet as you but just knowing that you are you makes me not so scared.” 

Louis blinks at Harry in shock and in disbelief. He feels his eyes stinging with tears at how much Harry’s words mean to him. He never thought of himself that way and is glad that someone sees him as the kind person he’s always tried to be and not just a terrifying ogre who lives in a swamp. 

“So, will you kiss me?” Harry repeats. 

Nodding, Louis starts to lean in until their noses brush against one another and pauses in case Harry wants to back out, in case he really doesn’t want this. 

Harry giggles, no, Harry laughs and closes the small distance between their lips and kisses Louis with such a sweetness that Louis almost thinks he tastes honey coming from his lips. 

Louis kisses him back, small pecks that turn into a full on open-mouthed kissing session against the rock. Neither of them realise the bright glowing aura that's around them because they’re so focused on each other and how their hearts are racing as if they’re trying to beat each other to see who can jump out of who’s chest first. 

When they finally pull away and Louis opens his eyes Harry is smiling at him with his more gold than green eyes, shining. 

Stepping back Louis is in awe at the beautiful shade of green that Harry’s skin has turned. He’s breathtaking. 

“So I guess you are my true love then.” Harry states, deadpan like it was something he knew all along and didn’t have to question. 

Louis laughs happily. He can’t believe his life really turned into its own fairy tale. 

“You think Zayn will be surprised?” Louis asks, leaning in and pecking Harry again on the lips. Their smiles make it messy but it makes bubbles rise in Louis chest. 

Harry shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Zayn probably already knows, he knows everything before it happens.” 

Louis nods in agreement and notices there fishing rod tugging from where he had it set up. “Oh shit!” He runs over and grabs it to try and save their catch but has no luck and pulls up an empty line. 

“Well there goes dinner.” Louis states and turns around to see Harry staring at him. 

“I don’t know,” he shrugs a new look on his face of devilish mischief, “I could think of something else to eat.” 

Louis gasps in shock before he and Harry both start laughing. 

The sun is shining down on them and the water making everything sparkle. The birds are singing their own love songs from between the branches of the greenest trees, and the flowers are blooming towards them, towards their happiness and how bright they are when they’re together. 

Smiling like an idiot who’s in love (which he is) he looks up to the sky, and this time it’s clear and bright - no shooting stars in sight but he doesn’t have to wish because he knows. He knows that his life is going to be filled with happiness because of the man in front of him. 

Louis never really believed in the magic of fairy tales but now that he’s living one he wouldn’t change a thing for the world. 

 

- _ fin _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> if you read this i owe you a bouquet of flowers, also if there was any mistakes or the ending sucked, then what’s new, it may have been over three since i wrote but i’m still the same writer LMAO okay thank you goodbye for now ~


End file.
